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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — a container
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ground — a position
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ground — the earth
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spring — of water
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. ground — crushed
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com